Memoirs of a Wondergirl
by Rubelle
Summary: Cassie is thrown into a whole new world when she leaves Themyscira to follow her older sister into Man's World. Thankfully, she isn't the only one searching for her new legs, as she teams up with other new superheroes Supergirl and Superboy. A continuation of Memoirs of Heroines series.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello! Quick note to those of you who just picked this story out of a line of Wondergirl stories: This story is part of a series I am currently in the middle of writing, known as the Memoirs of Heroines. I suggest starting with Batgirl, then Supergirl, and then this one, as each story builds on the other, with the same characters and timeframe. It may clear up some of the more obscure details you are bound to encounter in this story. While I sincerely hope you read my other stories to get the full picture, I suppose you could just get away with this one. Who knows? At the end you may want to read more. _

_Anyway, on to the story…_

Memoirs of a Wonder Girl

I remember the moment clearly. It was one of those defining moments that you never forget; the type of moment that offers a cross road that you have to chose. I could just imagine Janus, the trickster god of choices, standing before me, with both of his heads grinning at my inner turmoil.

I was only fourteen years old, and at the time, I was ready to choose what any normal teenager would have chosen. The only problem with that was that I didn't grow up like every other teenager.

My name is Cassandra Elizabeth Sandsmark, and even though I was born and raised a sister of the Amazons, I wanted nothing more than to leave my island home.

Don't get me wrong; I love my sisters and my Queen Hippolyta. They've been there ever since I can remember, instilling in me the values of our sisterhood. We were blessed by the goddesses with eternal youth, stunning strength, and a home independent of the toxic world of man. The indestructible gauntlets that had been on my wrists in even my earliest memories were our reminder of the one time we allowed ourselves to fall to the tyranny of men.

Our beautiful Queen Hippolyta had been tricked by the deceitful Heracles, and as a result, most of our race perished at the hands of the men who 'bought' us. Aphrodite saved us, pulling our souls from the lost lands of Hades and built us new bodies from the very Earth. We were allowed to live separate from the men who had destroyed us, with our gauntlets—forged from the chains that had bound us—to provide us strength and ensure that we never made the mistake of venturing out again.

For thousands of years, my older sisters lived in the literal paradise of Themyscira, in eternal youth, forever training and honing their skills in combat and traditional sports of the day. Each of them can attest mastery in a multitude of fighting styles.

You may be wondering how they can be my older sisters if all Amazons were rescued by Aphrodite so long ago. Well, I am one of three sisters who were crafted millennia after our sisterhood separated from the world of men. Although it was explained to me in much more regal terms, essentially, it comes down to this: our Queen Hippolyta is a mother at heart. Whenever she feels the mothering urge grow within her, she crafts a child from the earth, the same way Aphrodite did when she revived the rest of the Amazons, and with the blessing of the gods, breathes life into the little sculptures, producing a very real, very authentic Amazon child. The children were to be raised as Amazons, and, at the age of twenty-five, they were given eternal youth. The first child she created was Princess Diana, the strongest, wisest, most beautiful of us all, blessed by Athena, Aphrodite and Artemis at her birth.

The second child, created when Diana reached adulthood, was named Donna Troy; the night of her birth was the night Asteria, Titan of nocturnal oracles and falling stars, fell to Earth. As a thanks to Hippolyta for sanctuary on the island men could never visit, the ancient goddess blessed Donna, and as the child grew, although she easily excelled in the fighting arts that we all trained in, she demonstrated a strange sort of knowledge—at times she would look at one, and see what she called a different 'version' of them, from what she believed to be a separate universe. The knowledge weighed heavily on Donna. She was granted eternal youth at the age of twenty, and then set herself apart from the rest of the sisters, choosing to live in a secluded tower of the palace in prolonged meditation.

After it became apparent that Donna's oath of seclusion would not be broken, Hippolyta began to pine for a daughter again. She was very careful with this child, and took the utmost care in crafting the child before she finally breathed life into her. This child was different from the other Amazons, with blond hair and eyes the color of the sky. This child had a skinnier build, but was just as capable of strength as the other women of the island. From the moment she took her first breath, she was wailing loudly for the world to hear, intent on showing everyone just how powerful she could be.

This little child was me.

I had no desire to leave my home, at first. I strove to match each of my sisters, aware of how much I differed from them, with their thick black and brown locks and deep brown eyes. The only other person on the island who had blue eyes was Diana, and she was the image of Amazonian perfection. As another daughter of Hippolyta, I felt compelled to match my sister in everything, no matter what the event. After a while, I think she realized my motivation, and instead of allowing me to compete with her, she opened the door to true sisterhood, and became my very best friend.

So naturally, the night she left Themyscira is a bit of a sore subject.

One day four summers prior, when I was only ten years old, a great light appeared in the sky, like a streak. It landed beyond our realm, and so Hippolyta was perfectly willing to ignore it. Her proclamation of disinterest, however, did not reach Diana. My closest sister was determined to know what danger the falling star presented however.

I followed her that night—I don't know if she knew—but I followed her when she climbed Donna's tower to visit our unofficial Oracle.

"Donna," she said, grabbing our sister by the shoulders, "Donna, listen to me, I know it causes you pain, but I must know: does the danger that lies beyond affect us? Can I stop it?"

Donna's deep brown eyes focused on Diana, and grew large with disbelief.

"It was not another world I saw," she mumbled, "It was this one."

"Donna?" Diana leaned back, confused by her words, but Donna had new life.

"Diana," she started, but then she paused, and a moment later, I heard the door slam shut. When I moved to check, the door was surrounded with a strange glow. When I stepped closer, I realized it was to keep me, or anyone from hearing the conversation within. I ran down the steps, out of the tower, and away to my sister's room, determined to wait for her.

Instead, I fell asleep.

The next morning, I woke to alarms and a frantic sisterhood. Diana had left in the night, and she had taken the sacred relics—the lasso of Truth, forged from the girdle of Gaea; the sandals of Hermes, which allowed for flight and speed; and her own ceremonial tiara, traditionally worn annually at the Amazon Games. Hippolyta was furious; she locked herself away for days, summoning one god after another in an attempt to call her wayward daughter back, in vain. Diana never returned.

The event had an affect on Hippolyta though. It may have been driven by her sense of motherhood, but she denied it vehemently. After a full moon had passed, Hippolyta addressed her subjects, calling for a 'scouting' party of sorts, to go forth and live in Man's world. She suggested that Diana's flight from Themyscira would lead man to the rediscovery of our sisterhood, and that sending a faction out would mean not only knowledge of man's ways, but information of their military tactics, so that we could better defend ourselves. The faction set up in Athens, beneath the ruins of the Parthenon.

Years passed; I continued my training, void of my best friend, and hurt and confused by her absence. A month after my fourteenth birthday, my mother announced that the she, Donna, and I would be departing for man's world, to check in with the faction in Athens. I remember feeling a mix of fear and anger at her announcement; this was the world that had taken my best friend away from me, and I hated it.

But at the same time, it held a sense of mystery. I wanted to explore—I wanted to fight what Diana saw. The fact that Donna was moving from her seclusion to join us weighed heavily on me as well: there had to be a reason.

So together, the three of us traveled to Athens, and that is where my story really begins.

I walked as calmly as I could through the city streets. I led Donna on my arm; the multitude of people in this city was far too much for her to take in, so, to save her sanity, we tied a white scarf around her eyes. Although she, like my mother and I, had changed into the modern clothes of Man's World, her long, flowing 'maxi' dress, and the ribbon of fabric around her eyes made her look like Truth embodied.

"Are we at the market yet?" she asked timidly, although I could clearly hear the strains of excitement in her tremulous voice. We had snuck out from the Parthenon as my mother and the other Amazons dealt with 'business'. I wasn't old enough, and Donna's oath of seclusion included the politics of our sisterhood. So instead, Donna had made her way to my quarters and convinced me to walk with her. She wanted to 'see' a flea market, although the name alone turned me off.

"I still don't know why you want to go to a market filled with fleas," I muttered, stuffing my hands into the pockets of my jeans.

"Trust me," Donna smiled, "when we get there, you'll see. Do you still have the mortal money mother procured?"

I thought of the wad of neatly folded paper in my pocket. "Yep, she didn't want anything to do with it after we got our clothes."

"Wonderful," Donna grinned, "We may need it."

I opened my mouth to speak further, but we turned a corner, and a wave of musk hit my nose. Before us, in a haphazard array of stalls and cloth, laid the flea market.

"Wonderful!" Donna said, as if she was actually looking through her cloth, "We're here!"

I still didn't like the idea of a flea market, and judging by the condition of many of the vendors, it seemed as thought there could very well be fleas in this market. But Donna wanted to continue, and I wasn't one to deny her. So we walked through the rows of stalls, allowing Donna to take in the atmosphere and allowing me to gaze half-heartedly at the array of products offered by the greasy salesmen. We had just passed a stall with many 'hand-painted' ancient Greek vases, when Donna pulled me to the left.

"Here," she said, "This is the one."

The stall in front of us held many t-shirts with odd symbols on them. Some held a red 'S' on a yellow background, some held a stylized black bat in a yellow oval, while still others had a yellow lightning bolt, or a strange black and green shape that I had never seen before. I was admiring a red tank top with the yellow lightning bolt settled neatly in a white circle over the center, when Donna pulled me to a back corner.

"This one," she said, pointing to a set of black and red tank tops with golden 'w's layered on top of each other.

"Ok," I said, pulling those two to me, "You want these ones then? Did you even look at them?"

"I don't need to," she said, cryptically, "Besides, they aren't for me, they're for you."

"What? I don't want these, Donna."

"Yes," she said, closing her hands around mine, "You do."

I felt as if a cold breeze blew behind me, punctuating the importance of her words. I looked down to the t-shirts in my hands, and let the fabric shift under my fingers. They were surprisingly well made, and the shield on the chest seemed to be sown in actual gold. I looked back up at Donna, who gave me a reassuring smile. I sighed and turned to the vendor, who seemed to have a prosthetic leg and brace.

"Just the two?" he grumbled.

"Please," I answered, pulling the money from my pocket.

"So you're a fan of Wonder Woman?"

"What?" I started to ask, but Donna quickly cut in.

"Yes, we're quite big fans," she answered, "She's different from the others."

"What on Gaea are you talking about?" I hissed as the man took a bill and handed me the t-shirts in a bag.

"Trust me," she replied, thanking the man and pulling me from the tent back into the streets, "C'mon, we need to get back now."

"Wait, what? We haven't even seen the whole thing!"

"Doesn't matter."

"'Doesn't matter'? You're the one who pulled me here!"

"Hush, Cassandra, you're making a scene."

I let out a frustrated breath, and fell into step with my sister, unaware of the twin set of investigative eyes I now had glued to my back. I was more than ready to be done with this world.

Later that night, the Athens party hosted a celebration for our arrival, filled with the best food I had ever tasted. Even Donna, still with her white scarf, had come out to join; she sat next to me, carefully picking at her food, as if she was waiting for something. Next to us, seated at the head of the central table, our mother stood, raising her glass to the ceiling.

"Sisters!" She called, attracting the room's attention, "the Gods have smiled on us this evening!" The room cheered with her, then fell to quick silence for her to continue. "I came at the behest of my daughter, Donna. In her meditations, she foresaw our journey, and convinced me that the time had come to see the progress of our sisters."

That was news to me. I shot a look a Donna before I remembered that she couldn't see me through her scarf. She sat straight, as if she was suddenly a statue; every muscle in her body was clearly waiting for something.

"And what progress they have made!" Hippolyta continued, "It is comforting to know that we have such a branch in Man's world, should we ever-"

A sudden commotion in the hall outside the room interrupted her, and in one swift motion, our Queen reached for her sword; immediately, everyone else in the room drew their own weapon, save for Donna, who let out a frustrated sigh and stood.

"Mother, you have no need to worry," she said shortly, "The people your guards are apprehending are our friends and sisters."

"That's impossible," Hippolyta scoffed, and, pointing to the sisters closest to the doorway, continued, "You, go help them. Bring the intruders before me."

The selected Amazons leapt into the fray, and as Donna started to protest, our mother simply commanded, "Hush, Donna, we will see who is right."

A moment later, the sisters returned, wrestling in a young girl, about my age, with flaming red hair, bright green eyes, and the scowl of a fighter in a black body suit decorated only with a stylized blue bird. Her eyes darted around the room, taking in the sheer amount of opponents she would have, as the rest of the sisters hauled in another body I easily recognized.

"Diana," I gasped, standing immediately. I turned to my mother for confirmation, only to find her face twisted in a mix of emotions.

"How dare you!" My mother shrieked, flying towards Diana with her sword raised, "How dare you return to my presence!" Before she could strike my eldest sister, Diana broke free of the guards holding her and threw up her wrists. Hippolyta's sword bounced cleanly off my sister's gauntlets, effectively stunning our mother.

"I did not return to cause you grief, mother!" Diana cried.

"She speaks the truth!" Donna added, pulling me with her to stand between our sister and our mother, "Hear her out! This is important."

"Why are you here?" Hippolyta was still seething, and I wanted nothing more than to run and hide. Standing before an angry Amazon Queen was downright stupid.

"I," Diana paused, and I felt Donna shift, sending a message to Diana by imperceptible movement, "I received word that there were Amazons in Athens, and I wanted to check the rumors."

"To what end?" Hippolyta spat, "You chose which world you wish to live in. Did you just think we would welcome you back?"

Diana's face fell in hurt.

"I did not choose Man's world to spite you, Mother. I chose it because it needed me. I felt a call four years ago, and I have finally found what that call was leading me out to do." She motioned to her companion, who was clearly confused by the happenings.

"Wait," she said, "I thought you said your mom was on Themyscira!"

"Clearly," Hippolyta hissed, "I stand before you. State your name, mortal."

The girl looked to Diana, who nodded. The girl took a deep breath, and looked up meet Hippolyta's eyes. "My name is Barbara Gordon, but when the night falls, I am known as Nightingale."

"How did you meet my daughter?"

With another nod from Diana, the girl continued, "In my world, Diana is known as the crime fighting Wonder Woman." I felt my stomach drop to my feet, but the girl continued, "I used to be known as Batgirl, sidekick to Batman and Robin, of GothamCity. One night, after we finished fighting a bad guy, they…well, things had been building for a long time, and so I guess I really should have seen it coming, but I mean, he was my best friend, and then he just, he just…" Barbara had dissolved into tears, sobbing over some aspect of her story. To my eternal surprise, Hippolyta put her sword away, and knelt down to hold the broken girl by her shaking shoulders.

"He hurt you?" She asked softly.

The girl sniffed and nodded, "He was my very best friend, for eight years, and then he just, he just turned on me, even after I saved his life."

Hippolyta was still for a long moment, gazing at the girl as she slowly took control of her sobs again, and settled into quiet tears. Suddenly Hippolyta squeezed the girl's shoulders before standing to face Diana again, with an entirely different emotion.

"You're training her, aren't you? You took her away from them and started to train her." Diana nodded, face straight. Hippolyta nodded and looked back at Barbara.

"You know the pain of the Amazons; we were betrayed by man, and it was only by divine intervention that we were allowed a second chance. My daughter clearly sees promise in you, and if what you yourself said is true, then I believe she is correct. Orana," she turned to the leader of the Athens faction, "I will need a private conference room. Are there any rooms currently in disuse?"

"Yes, my Queen. Allow me to lead you to it."

Hippolyta turned to Diana and Donna, "I will need the both of you to accompany me. Cassandra," she turned to me, "Take Barbara to your quarters. I will send for you when we are ready."

Hippolyta, Diana and Donna swept away with Orana, and the rest of the sisters returned to the feast, although now it was accompanied with a rush of whispers. I turned to Barbara, who was still wiping away stray tears.

"Want something to eat?" I asked, motioning to the food at the table.

"I…um…" Barbara, looked to the food, clearly uncertain, so I made the decision for her; I piled two plates with a bit of everything, and handed one to her.

"C'mon," I said, motioning to the hall, "They might be a while."

"Oh, ok," she said, following me as quickly as possible.

We walked in silence to my room, but once we were inside, and settled on the bed with our plates between us, I had to break it.

"So," I started, "This guy…he was actually a 'friend' of yours?"

"Yea," she said, popping a grape into her mouth, "He was my best guy friend."

"Wait, wait, wait, you actually consider men to be your friends?"

"Yea," she said, looking at me sideways, "I have a handful of guy friends, it's just that Robin was…" she trailed off, apparently lost in the memory of 'Robin'.

"Well, I wouldn't trust him," I said, picking up a chicken wing.

"Huh?" She wasn't expecting that statement.

"Just look at his name!" I said, pulling the meat off, "what kind of name is 'Robin'? It's not exactly masculine."

Her lips started to quiver, and for a moment, I was afraid I had said something wrong. Instead, she cracked up laughing, rolling back and holding her stomach. I smiled at her laughter and sat back against my pillows, "See? Not very scary, is it?"

"No!" She laughed, wiping away new tears of joy, "He's really not!" Then she looked at the plate of foreign food in front of her, and, with only a hint of uncertainty, pulled out a wrapped grape leaf and held it up to her mouth, sniffing it first.

"It's good," I smiled, "Promise."

With my encouragement and a deep breath to steel herself, she took a quick bite, and started chewing as if the food was going to hurt her. Then, with a moment of surprise, she looked back at the roll and then at me. "Is that sautéed rice?"

"Yep," I smiled, "I think there's some eggplant in there too."

"It's delicious!" she laughed, and took another bite.

In that moment, everything 'different' about us disappeared; I knew without a doubt, as she continued to slowly pick new foods from her plate, and I continued to offer comments about the components, and fill her in on Amazon lore, that we were meant to be friends. And that meant only one thing.

It was time for me to follow Diana.


	2. Chapter 2: Deadbeat Dad

Donna sat in shock before me, and Hippolyta was clearly trying to keep her calm. After Barbara had left, having been gifted with the gauntlets of an Amazon, and sandals blessed by Artemis, I informed my mother that I wished to follow them.

"My dear," my mother began, "It is understandable that you would wish to follow your sister, having just seen her. But Man's World is still a vicious place, and you are only fourteen years old."

"So is Barbara," I said, trying to stay rational, "She has been fighting crime since she was thirteen, and she hasn't had half the training I have. Let me try! If it isn't for me, or Man's World proves to be too much, I'll return to Themyscira and I won't say another word."

"How long would you have me let you go?" Hippolyta asked, "Five years, ten years? It takes only one fight to put you beyond repair, and beyond my help."

"I'm an Amazon!" I cried, "I'm stronger than the vast majority of mankind."

"You have no powers other than strength, and no skill other than what we have taught you," Hippolyta chastised, "You have no money other than what I allow you to have, how would you travel the world?"

"I," I bit my lip. I hadn't thought about that. I didn't even know how I would get out of Athens. Hippolyta smirked at her victory.

"You see? You are still too young to fully understand the implications of Man's World, and by the time you are old enough, you will see that it isn't worth the effort."

"But…" I had no arguments left.

"But maybe it is," a booming male voice insisted behind us. I jumped around, sword drawn in an instant, and my mother's face turned pale with anger. Donna frowned deeply, but made no move. Behind us was a man in a gray three piece suit, with pepper gray hair, and bright blue eyes, like mine and Diana's. He held an air of authority, but not one I was inclined to obey.

"How did you get here?" I asked, advancing slowly, sword forward, "Answer me!"

The man gave me a quizzical look, as if I was nothing more than a barking puppy. He held up his hand and my sword disappeared from my hand, and reappeared in my sheath. "Really now, Cassandra," he drawled as I tried in vain to pull it free, "Is that anyway to speak to your father?"

I froze as a chill crept up my spine. He walked past me to address Hippolyta, who was shaking with anger. I looked up at her, but she would not meet my eyes.

"Hippolyta, what has it been, thirteen years?"

"Almost exactly," she spoke through gritted teeth, as if she was compelled to answer him.

"Mother," I murmured, "what is he talking about?"

"I was going to tell you on your twenty-first birthday, after you had received your eternal life," she began, still unable to look at me, "That way you would be able to protect yourself, if you had to."

"What are you talking about?"

"You aren't her daughter," the man answered, straightening the cuffs of his suit, as if he was bored.

"That…" I turned back to Hippolyta, "But you crafted me from clay. You raised me since I was a baby."

"It is true," she said, "I raised you since you were a babe, but I did not give you life."

"That would be me," the man said, turning to smile at me, "You are my most recent child."

"Most recent? Who the hell do you think you are?" I threw up my fists, done trying to draw my sword. I didn't care who this man was, I was over listening.

"Cassie, don't," Donna started, but rage already shot through my 'father's eyes. From nowhere, lightning struck the ground on either side of me, and his bright blue eyes turned the color of a storm.

"My name," he towered over me, "is Zeus. Now swallow your pride and listen to my proposition. Believe it or not, I'm here to help you." He turned away from me, leaving me stunned, and turned to face an equally pale Queen. "You will allow her to travel, I need a champion in the world of Man, and she is the perfect candidate."

"You mean to tell me Diana refused your offer?" Hippolyta spoke in a clipped tone, drawing a scowl from Zeus.

"Clearly, she decided she has other priorities," his voice was equally sharp.

"Pity," Hippolyta sneered.

"Cassie, on the other hand," he motioned to me, "Not only has a drive to explore the world, she will have every mean, should you allow her."

Even though I still didn't trust him, he had me pinned. I would be more than willing to be his champion if it meant getting to follow Diana into Man's World.

Donna turned to her mother and drew attention, "It is more than possible that she will succeed, Mother. She would have the blessing of the King of the Gods and the Queen of the Amazons behind her. We all know how stubborn Cassie is, I'm sure she won't lose a fight that easily."

"I may not have given life to Cassandra, but I still raised her, and she is still my child. She is too young to be a champion—of anything! In a few years, once she has eternal youth, perhaps, but not now—not when she could lose it all!"

Zeus started to inflate again, as if he was going to strike Hippolyta down. But I couldn't let that happen. I jumped between the two and held out my hands, to stop the confrontation. But it was Donna who gave the solution.

"A compromise, then?" She stood, and I felt as if she had transformed in someway. He held an air of authority similar to Zeus, although hers seemed older, and far wiser. "Cassie will live in the world of Man for three years, as a normal mortal teenager. If, at the end of three years, she decides that she cannot properly continue the duties required of a champion, or continue to live in Man's world, then she will relinquish her title and return to Themyscira. She will have the protection of older, more seasoned heroes to help her, should she need it. Agreed?"

Both Zeus and Hippolyta scowled at first, but after a moment, Zeus sighed and held out his hand, "I can accept those conditions."

Hippolyta continued to frown, looking from Donna, to Zeus, and then finally to me. Her eyes met mine, and I felt a lifetime of emotion pass between us. She was a mother, through and through; she didn't want to lose me. I nodded to her, trying to pass some of the confidence to her as Diana had done for Barbara earlier. She closed her eyes and sighed, then stood to face Zeus.

"If anything should happen to her, none of your wayward children shall every have sanctuary in my realm again," she decreed, with the utmost seriousness. But all the same, she took his hand. Immediately, thunder boomed over us, and wind blew into the hall, circling me. It was powerful enough to lift me into the air. Zeus and Hippolyta rose on the air current as well, although both of them seemed far more used to the feeling. Zues walked on the air currents toward me, and I felt more currents hold me in place, arms out, as if I was on a cross. He placed his palm on my forehead.

"Cassandra of Themyscira, do you accept the title I present to you? Do you accept the responsibility of being my Champion?"

I closed my eyes, steeling my mind and body.

"Yes," I answered, "I accept."

White hot energy poured from his hand into my forehead. I screamed as it soared through me, filling every inch of my being with power I had never felt before. Around me thunder roared and lighting crackled, and the energy seared through me, infusing me with strength I couldn't imagine. It stopped just as easily, and although I still felt the energy swirling within me, it was no longer connected to Zeus.

This power was mine.

I broke free of the air currents, commanding them instead to lift me on my terms. Now I stood on air, facing Zeus, who had a surprised and impressed look on his face. He put his hands together, then pulled them apart quickly, revealing a thick coil of sparking red rope. "Use this to drive my lightning directly into your enemies. Its aim is always true. And accept this," he stood back and directed his hands over me. I looked down to see that my toga had disappeared, replaced by a skintight body suit that ended in a choker halter around my neck, leaving my shoulders bare. While the sides were plain red, the center seemed to glow like molten bronze on a black surface. My rope threaded itself around my waist, like a makeshift belt; after three loops around me, the rest coiled up and rested on my hip. "It has the tactile strength of the best armor, and will appear at your command," he said.

"Take these as well," Hippolyta said, stepping forward. Her hands lightly brushed my shoulders, forearms, wrists and calves; wherever she touched, bronze armor appeared, although I could barely feel the weight. "Let those be a sign of my blessing," she said, looking away, "They will withstand even the strongest blows, and like the rest of your armor, they will appear only at your command."

She stepped back to stand beside Zeus, and I watched my armor glisten for a moment before it dissipated, and my toga reappeared, although now my belt glowed with the same red fury as my lasso. The air currents that filled the room eased off, and we stood back on the floor of the great hall. With a straight face, Zeus placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Understand that when you are in Man's World, it is best to keep a low profile. It would be better if you did not call your Champion's Armor to you unless the situation calls for it. I have many enemies who would like nothing more than to eliminate my champion."

"In the mean time," Hippolyta picked up, "Whatever outfit you wear when you put yourself into danger will be granted the protection of the armor, but not its durability. You must watch yourself."

I nodded; so I only had their protection in the direst of situations. The rest was up to me. Great.

"Now," Zeus said, "If you hurry, you can catch Diana and her ward before they leave Athens. They should help you get what you need."

I looked to Hippolyta, who turned away to return to her throne, "Yes, pack your things, I'll arrange for the cooks to provide you with some travel food. You can leave your togas though, you won't need them for a long while." I watched her walk away, but Zeus looked around and straightened his tie.

"And that's about all the time I have. Hera will be after me soon. Which reminds me," he pulled a card from inside his coat and handed it to me, "I'm not the easiest person to get in contact with, but if the need is great, and you have exhausted your other options, I will help you the best I can."

"The best you can?" I asked, taking his card.

"I may be a god, Cassie," he said, stepping back, "That doesn't make me almighty." With that sentiment, a lightning bolt fell in front of me, and when I looked back, he was gone. I looked at the card, which read: Zeus, King of the Olympians, God of the Heavens, . I shook my head and turned to look at Hippolyta.

"Well," she said, "You don't have much time."

She was hurt, I could tell that much. "I still have questions for you," I stepped forward, "Did you give me my name?"

"No," she said, her voice curt, "You were one year old when you were placed in my care. Your mother gave you up to me for your protection from some of the aforementioned enemies of your father."

"I thought you hated Zeus," I pushed.

"I do," she scowled, then sighed, "But he asked me in a way I was unable to refuse."

"How?" I needed to know.

She looked up to me, and for once, I saw defeat in her eyes, "He appealed to the mother in me. He showed me you."

Ten minutes later, I was in my room, neatly packing my mortal clothes into a knapsack, when I heard a rap at my door. I turned to find Donna, who was holding the small plastic bag from the flea market.

"Don't forget these," she smiled, but I could feel the sadness behind it. I took the bag and looked at the shirts inside. They held the same symbol as Diana's outfit.

"You knew," I looked back up at Donna, "You knew everything, didn't you?"

"As daughters of the Queen, both Diana and I knew that you weren't conceived the way we were," she answered, "But it is the other information—the knowledge only I have—that you must listen to.

"You have the opportunity to be what the mortals call a 'superhero'. When you fight, when the world looks for a label to give you, wear those shirts, and call yourself niece of Diana."

"Isn't that stealing her label?" I asked, folding the shirts and throwing them on the top of my knapsack.

"Many of the mortal superheroes have 'families', of sorts; many of them work under versions of the same name. Take Barbara, for example: she was known as Batgirl, assistant to Batman."

"Yea, but her 'pal' doesn't go by Batboy, he goes by Robin, gods only know why…"

"But the practice applies. The mortals will simply see that you are 'like' Diana, and they will see only an Amazon princess, not the Champion of Zeus." Outside thunder rolled, as if punctuating Donna's words.

"So that's how I hide my true importance," I said, understanding, "But I can't be Wonder Woman, that's Diana's."

"Don't worry," Donna smiled, taking my hands, "The mortal news source will give you a name."

"I don't know if that's a good idea." That seemed like asking for trouble.

"Trust me," she said, squeezing my hands. I looked to where her eyes were, hidden beneath the scarf, and sighed. That was the one thing Donna had no matter what, my trust.

"Fine," I said, "I'll let them draw the parallel."

"Good," she said, brushing my hair back, before she kissed my forehead, "Take care sister, the world of Man isn't nearly as accepting of sisters as we are."

"Don't worry," I laughed, although it was somewhat hollow, "I've got Zeus on my side, sometimes."

Donna laughed slightly; she knew exactly what I meant.

"Goodbye, Cassie," she said, "Good luck."


	3. Chapter 3: New Deal

I sat back in the café and sipped on my smoothie. It was maddening trying to find anybody in this city, especially when I had no clue where they were. Diana had failed to mention where they were staying, or what name they were booked under.

But, from what I could tell of the deal Diana set up, she had a certain amount of prestige, and this was supposed to be a high-class private schooling trip. So I found the most prestigious looking hotel in Athens, and a café placed exactly opposite. I didn't have that long though. Bored and lost for options, I put my smoothie down and pulled the card 'dad' had given me, and looked it over again.

The print was so plain, so…normal for an Olympian. I wonder if he knew how to contact Diana.

A strong breeze suddenly appeared, teasing my hair and blowing many of the napkins and menus from the other patrons' tables.

"_The wind…_"

I jumped and turned around, expecting to see the source of the voice in my ear. The nearest person was at least ten feet away. Another breeze twisted through my hair, and I felt a slight bubble of power rise, and then sink back through my center.

Of course!

I reached in for the power I had felt earlier, when I had taken control of the air currents in the great hall. I pulled my hands to my mouth, cupping the air to my lips.

"Big sister," I whispered, "I need you, meet above the city."

I wrapped the message up in a ball of air and let it go, saying only, "Find Diana." I felt a breeze lift and carry it away. Once it was gone, I picked up my bag and smoothie, and looked towards the tall hills just above me. They would be perfect.

When I climbed the final peak, I reached back for the air currents, wrapped them around my center, so that it held my legs loosely together, and propelled myself upwards, until I was a decent height above the city. Once there, I strengthened the air currents so that I could stand on them, like earlier. Air manipulation was surprisingly easy.

I must have waited up there for about twenty minutes. Night had almost fallen, and I had an excellent view of the sunset from my air current; it was serene, sitting up there, in the complete quiet. Suddenly, I heard a woosh separate of the wind around me. I turned to see Diana, staring at me in surprise.

"Little sister?" she murmured, "How is it possible?"

"I met my dad," I said, standing to face her, "He encouraged Mom to let me join you."

"Join…" she started to ask, but she was interrupted by a startled yell.

"Gah!" Barbara was completely off-balance, clearly not yet steady in her new boots. When she finally straightened next to Diana, she sighed, then saw me and her eyebrows bent in confusion.

"Is this an Amazon thing?" She asked, "Flying like this?"

"No," Diana said, "I was previously the only Amazon that could fly, and that was purely because of the Sandals of Hermes."

"My flight is slightly different," I said, repositioning my bag.

"Then how are you so used to it?" She seemed exasperated.

"Just relax, Babs," Diana placed a hand on her protégé's shoulder, "The boots will follow your desires, if you let them." Then she turned to me, "What were the terms of your release?"

I sighed, "I'm supposed to live in Man's World as a normal teenager, with a super hobby, for three years. If it doesn't fit at the end, then I return home and that's that. Donna said I should be part of your 'super-family,' so I thought I would join you two,"

Diana's eyebrows furrowed into thought, but meanwhile, Barbara snorted. "Normal teenager?" she laughed, "There isn't anything normal about our arrangement! A normal teenager would mean you enrolling in high school, having sleepovers, that sort of thing."

"What are sleepovers?"

Babs sighed, "My point exactly."

"That isn't the full point though," Diana said, arms crossed, "You may have Amazon training, but you don't have the type of know-how for fighting crime."

"Not yet," I said, "I could learn from you."

Diana opened her mouth, when we heard a chorus of screams from below. Diana soared down without blinking, and Barbara's instinctual reaction to screams lead to her forgetting, at least briefly, about her troubles with her boots. I wrapped my air currents around me again and followed, excited about my chance to prove my worth.

When we landed, however, I found there was far less to be excited about. Running through the flea market Donna had pulled me to, tearing the cloth walls to pieces was a minotaur.

"You have got to be kidding me," I said, but Diana already had her lasso out, while Barbara had pulled a handful of small pellets from a pocket on her belt.

"Oy," the redhead yelled, "Bull boy, how about you pick on something that can fight back?" The bull turned to look at her, and Barbara threw the pellets at its feet. Five rapid explosions released a huge cloud of smoke, eliciting a strangled cry from the monster before it leapt forward from the gas, tearing at its eyes. The moment I thought about my lasso, it was there, around my waist and in my hands, and I was already spinning it, although I didn't fully remember thinking through the process. My lasso landed around the monster, holding its arms down, but that didn't stop it from fighting.

"Throw it!" Diana yelled to me, "Pick it up and throw it!"

I didn't follow her thought process completely, but nonetheless I wrapped my air currents around me and soared up, hauling the monster with me. With the help of the air behind me, I spun around, pulling the bull with me, before I set the aim straight to the ground. The bull skidded through the cobblestones, but, to my surprise, stood up again. It shook its head, looked up at me, grabbed the rope and yanked it toward him. I tried to lift up again, but he was grounded this time, expecting and fighting my resistance easily.

"_It will deliver my lightning to your opponents_," Zeus' words rang through my head, and I closed my eyes, reaching for the power he left inside me. It rose up through my arms and past my fingers into the rope. I watched the red sparks fly from the rope and center around the minotaur, who screeched and released the rope. Diana acted immediately, grabbing his arms and pinning him in a headlock. Barbara stepped before him and sprayed something in his face. He blinked rapidly, and with a groan, he landed with a heavy thud on the ground.

Diana looked from him to me, thinking again.

"Where did you get that from?" her calm voice demanded an answer.

"Dad," I answered, trying to keep the emotion from my voice. Diana's eyes widened slightly, and she looked back at the monster.

"We need to find out who sent it," she said, kicking it lightly, "Only a strong magician can summon a minotaur from Tartarus."

Barbara knelt in front of the monster and lifted one of his eyelids, as if checking consciousness. So naturally, she, like Diana and I, were surprised when the monster collapsed into a cloud of dust before our eyes.

"What?" Babs started.

"What just happened?" I turned to Diana, but her blue eyes were swirling with thought. Instead, she turned to me, and jumped the subject completely.

"Tomorrow, Barbara and I are moving on to Paris, and you will come with us. However," she put up her hand to stop my reaction, "After that, you will be spending the rest of your three years learning crime-fighting ethic from the people who taught us." Barbara caught that statement and went absolutely pale.

"Diana…" she whispered, "Is that really a good idea?"

"Who better to teach Cassie how to fight crime than the other the 'World's Greatest Detective'?" Diana replied, with a strange smirk on her face.

"Who are you talking about?" I asked, willing my lasso to disappear again. Diana turned to me and smiled.

"The Batman,"


	4. Chapter 4: The Guardian

*Two Weeks Later*

I stepped off the plane and repositioned my backpack and suitcase. Diana and Barbara had taken me shopping for an actual wardrobe while we were in Paris. Now I was in tight blue jeans and a red sweater with golden stripes on the forearms, a style they insisted fit me well. The two of them had spent the week preparing me for my new lifestyle—one I wasn't totally excited about. So far, all I had seen of Gotham was the bird's eye view from the plane. It looked dingy and smoggy, not a thrilling combination. And seeing as the only information I had regarding my future guardian and housemate was Barbara's story of abuse, I wasn't particularly thrilled about living in a manor either. But when Diana had covertly called Bruce, while Barbara and I had been out shopping, she had managed to make him comply to the plan.

So it should have been no surprise that when I stepped onto the elevator that lead to the exit of the terminal, I immediately saw a sign that read, in perfect block letters, CASSANDRA SANDSMARK.

_Sandsmark, _I thought to myself, _who takes a name like Sandsmark?_ Diana had assured me that it was, in fact my proper surname, as she had been one of the Amazons present when Zeus had appeared with baby me and my mother. _Helena Sandsmark_, the only name I could think about when I was on the plane; the only person I really wanted to find. Sure, Bruce would be 'training' me in the art of stealthy crime-fighting, or whatever he wanted to call it, but I would put his connections to the test.

The man holding my name was aged, but very nicely so. Everything about him screamed 'neat', from his perfect mustache down to his polished shoes. I wonder if Diana had sent a picture, or if maybe Bruce had pulled one, because the old man seemed to recognize me immediately, and was already putting the sign down as I approached.

"Miss Sandsmark, I assume?" he put his hand forward, "My name is Alfred Pennyworth, butler to Master Bruce." I took his hand, and found it firm, yet gentle. "Now then," he asked, "Is this all of your luggage?"

"Yep," I said, looking down to my small suitcase, "I left most of my things on Themyscira."

"Ah," he said, taking my suitcase from me and motioning for me to walk with him, "The fabled home of the Amazons. What is it like?"

While no man had ever set foot on Themyscira (well, save for Zeus, apparently), as far as I knew, there was no rule forbidding me from describing the island to one. I smiled at the thought of my former home. "It's beautiful," I began, "The only weather I've ever known has been partly sunny, with just enough heat to keep warm, but not enough to burn unless you don't put on the proper lotions before training, or farming. While the animals of the island never seem to disappear, we do take care to ration our intake, so we tend to grow most of our food. It's really wonderful—the perfect shade of green—and all of the buildings are built from white stone, although the palace is white marble." We had already made it to the car—or limo, rather, like the ones I had seen on the T.V. in Paris—and Alfred had put my suitcase in the trunk, before opening the back door for me. I climbed in and had almost clicked my seatbelt into place when I felt it, the presence of another person. I reached for my belt, which quickly became my lasso and filled the car with light. Seated opposite me was a teenaged boy, with thick black hair and smirking blue eyes.

"Who are you?" I demanded, raising my lasso.

He laughed and leaned back, with his arms spread across the seats. I felt the car start and begin to move, and I realized that the partition between the driver's seat and the back area was closed. What a pity, Alfred had seemed so nice.

"My name is Richard Grayson-Wayne," he said, "Although given the company you held in Europe, you probably know me better as Robin."

I recognized the unmasculine name immediately; so this was the little prick who hurt Babs. Now that I could see him, I could see that he was as small as his name suggested. I was gonna chew him up and spit him out.

"Hm," I said, crossing my arms and leaning back in my chair, "As unimpressive as I imagined." I gave him my best smile, "I can't say it's nice to meet you though."

His frown told me that I had clearly hit a point, and his relaxed demeanor disappeared. "How is she?" he asked, completely serious.

"The first time I met her, when she was attempting to explain how she had come to travel with my aunt, she burst into tears. After that though, we generally didn't mention you or Mr. Batman, so she was fairly happy."

His frown shifted to an all-out scowl, and I felt my smile grow. He wasn't going to get information out of me for free. I was determined to log him with an emotional debt equal to what Babs was paying out.

"I assume your 'aunt' left you with a means to get a hold of her?"

"They both have burner phones, and I can only call Diana's in case of extreme emergency, so I'm gonna go ahead and say no."

"I wouldn't call her on it," he insisted.

"No, you would just plug the number into your computer and track all the places she's been, and then try to predict her movements on the off chance that you might meet her at one."

"I..."

"Exactly," I said, "You're desperate to have the guilt that weighs on your shoulders resolved, and you're willing to ignore what's best for Barbara if that means you can feel better."

Evidently, I stepped too far with that one. One moment, I saw the anger flush his face with red, and the next moment he was across the limo and on top of me. His hands closed around my throat, and I saw the hurt and pain swirling beneath the anger in his eyes.

"Don't you dare think that I don't want what's best for her," he growled, "Take it back." I met his glare with as calm of a gaze as I could manage.

"Let go of me," I ordered, but his grip tightened slightly.

"Take it back."

I tugged slightly on my lasso, so that the loop I had threaded around his arms just before he grabbed me tightened. "Do you see this rope?" As I spoke, some of the red in his face disappeared, "It was given to me by a very…powerful person. It allows me to channel lightning into whoever is in its grip. Do you really want to play this?"

With a frustrated noise, he let go of my throat and fell into a seat adjacent to me, then threw off the rope. "I realized five minutes after I said it that I was in the wrong. I wanted to give her the weekend to cool off before I apologized, but when Monday came, she was already gone, and neither her dad nor Kara would tell me where she went."

_Kara…_

That reminded me of Barbara's other request. As I was leaving for Gotham, she grabbed my hand and pulled my focus back to her.

"Look, seeing as you're going to be in Gotham, and you're gonna be going to the same school as…Dick, well, just look out for Kara Kent."

"Kara Kent?" I repeated.

"Yea, she's one of my closest friends, and she was rather sad that I decided to leave for three out of our four high school years, and then last week, she got in an accident. I think she could use a friend like you right now." She smiled hopefully with the last sentence, and for a moment, I thought Donna was in front of me.

"Don't worry," I had said, patting her hand, "I'll keep an eye on her."

I had to make good on my word, so I knew that once I got to school, the first person I would seek out would be her.

"…anyway," I refocused on Dick's explanation, "I'm sorry. Nothing about this is right, and it seems like there's nothing I can do to fix anything."

He actually seemed genuinely sorry that he tried to choke me. In a rare moment of pity, I leaned forward and put my hand on one of his, "As an Amazon, I was raised on the belief that all things are fated. Act as you may, and fight where and whatever you can, but in the end, when you've given it your all, fate is fate. With your options cut off, accept that if you and Barbara are really as close as you thought, then you will one day return to it."

"That's a kind of depressing outlook to take," he grumbled, not looking up at me. I leaned back to my seat and crossed my arms again.

"That depends entirely on how you look at it, Boy Wonder."

I saw him try to quickly hide a grin; the action had me torn. Was he really changed, or was he putting on a very believable mask? I supposed that only time would tell.

A few minutes later, we pulled up at Wayne Manor; a huge, depressing looking building that appeared to have far more room than was needed for its occupants. Once the car came to a halt, Dick jumped right out of the car and strode up to the doorway, where another man was waiting.

He looked to be late-twenties, early thirties, with jet black hair cropped close to his head, and steely gray eyes that held only the appearance of warmth. As Dick entered the house, this man came forward, eyes fixed on me. I could tell from his look that he was calculating, trying to figure out as much about me as he could. He offered me a huge hand that easily enveloped mine, "Hello Cassandra, it's lovely to meet you. Your Aunt told me you intended to stay here for three years?"

"As long as I'm welcome," I replied, and I noticed a flicker of embarrassment race through his eyes, "Otherwise I'm sure I could just as easily inhabit my Aunt's apartment until the time's up."

"Nonsense," Bruce said, "despite what I'm sure you must have heard about Richard and me from Diana and Barbara, I want you to feel welcome here. What we did to Barbara was wrong, and I'm deeply embarrassed by my actions. I can already see the same promise in you that I saw in Barbara, and I'll be a fool if I let it go twice."

While it sounded somewhat like a political speech, I felt sincerity behind his words. Regardless of whether or not Dick had changed, it was clear that Bruce had. "However," he said, as he led me into the house, "I am concerned about your level of education."

"The Amazons are masters of many arts," I felt my pride ruffling its feathers.

"Be that as it may," he said as the door shut behind us, "I want to make sure you're ready for the American public education system. So, just to make sure that you're not overwhelmed your first day of school, I arranged for you to study here for the first few weeks, just to get you up to speed."

"So…home schooling?" I looked at the dark, shadow infested hall. It didn't seem particularly welcoming.

"Yes, it will also allow me time to teach you some of the principles Diana sent you here to learn."

"Crime-fighting," I finger-quoted.

"Yes," he frowned slightly at my gesture, "I don't want you out in Gotham until I know that you know what you're doing."

"How long is that going to take?" I asked; we had turned into a long hallway filled with doors. I had the sudden feeling I was going to get lost more than once.

"I estimate a month or two," he said, stopping at a door.

"A month?" I cried, "Seriously?"

"Depends on how quickly you learn," Bruce said simply, "Maybe more, maybe less."

I groaned and put my hand over my eyes; one full month before I could find Kara, before I could begin my time as Zeus's champion, before I could really experience the life of a teenager. But before I could continue my complaint, the door next to the one Bruce stood at opened, and Dick stuck his head out.

"What's with the noise?" He asked, bored or annoyed, I couldn't tell.

"I'm showing Cassie to her room," Bruce motioned to the door. Immediately, Dick jumped in front of the door and threw his arms out, as if he was protecting it.

"Not this one," He declared, "No one gets this room."

"Dick," Bruce started, but Dick wouldn't have it. He stood straight and crossed his arms, intent on standing his ground.

"Not this one."

Bruce sighed, "Ok," and motioned for me to follow him a little farther down the hall. Once he was sure he had won, and that we were definitely gone, he went back into his room and closed the door.

"What was that all about?" I asked.

Bruce stopped at a new door, and opened it to reveal a full suite complete with a bathroom and fireplace. Large windows were hidden behind tall scarlet drapes, which matched the comforter and detailing of the four-poster bed. I walked in, taking in the room, before I turned back to Bruce, waiting for my answer.

"The other room is the one that she chose when she first came to the manor," he said, looking away from me.

"Who?"

He looked up, and I saw a deep sadness in his eyes.

"Barbara."


End file.
